Obediance Flight
by FightingMyFate
Summary: This was previously titled 'The Lemons of Rain', but I lost the plot and strayed way off topic with it so it is now undergoing EXTREME reconstruction. Sorry for the inconveniance, hope you enjoy the changes. (1st chpt. still same.)
1. Inane Superior

Inane Superior  
  
Warnings: ANGSTY YAOI LEMON, shoo kiddies.  
  
Pairings: Seto/Jou  
  
Notes: The title does not mean this is another PWP arc, but I do warn you, each part is extremely long.  
  
Thanks: To NEB, the dork who once again, slave-drove me into writing this Arc. He pities the pairings that I don't pay much attention to when it comes to lemons so this one is ALL about the S/J.  
  
~*~  
  
I ran a hand over my forehead, trying to rid myself of the moisture that was gathering there, but not succeeding. The rain was still coming on strong, and my hair was soaked, so my futile attempts at drying my eyes and face off were just that, futile.  
  
I huffed and picked up my pace, trying to get my coat around me more than it was which was impossible being how thin the thing was. I broke into a jog soon after that, the storm strengthening as I finally got to the east side of Heritage Park. My house was just across this wing of the nature preserve, just a couple blocks down from Yu-Gi's home. I glanced over my right shoulder at said young man's house, not smiling like I had the impulse do when I saw him and Yami in the kitchen, arguing over something with Yami wearing that horrible blue apron and no shirt.  
  
I stumbled a couple of times and almost fell while running through the thickening mud, catching my sleeve on a low branch here and there. It thundered above my head and I felt little relief when I came out of this side of the park to an old street littered with potholes. I was nowhere near my house yet, and slowed down to catch my breath. I still had down town Plymouth to walk through.  
  
I bent over slightly, slumping against the wall of a small bus stop that no one used and watched the back street. There weren't any houses here, it was just a road that ran from one side of Domino to the other side of Plymouth, this downtown area being right on the border of the two cities. I looked either ways curiously, correct in my assumption of their being no traffic on the old street. I think I remember seeing that its name was Lotz somewhere, but couldn't be sure.  
  
When my breathing finally returned to normal I stood straight again and shook out my coat, even though I knew it would get drenched again. Running my fingers through my blonde hair I started out into the street towards the small shops at a quick walking pace, heading straight for the Coffee Beanery, the Bean for short, to stay until the down pour lessened.  
  
As I moved further into the shopping streets, the roads became cleaner, neater, the black top still a dark color and the stores mostly expensive diners besides the random bakeries and foreign traders. I would hardly have enough money for a tall mocha, let alone afford to stay in one of these more pricey jewelers or computer stores. That's just the way it was though, and I resignedly walked up the stairs into the Bean, a place where all of us come to just hang out at every Friday night. Well, today was Friday; I guess I was just here early. I knew no one would be here though, it was only 4 and I had to get home.  
  
The warm atmosphere greeted me cheerily, the hard wood floors darkened from the water that had been trudged in and the smell of smoke wafting into this main room from the smoker's side. I ordered exactly what I had money for, a tall caramel mocha and paid, walking towards the window seat in the non- smoking room. I had to pass the smoker's side though, walking through the fog that seemed to billow out of the place, and chanced a glance in, not surprised to see the infamous Seto Kaiba lounging near the darker corner, smoking and drinking something that looked like just a regular coffee.  
  
I shook my head at my self and continued, sitting in the empty booth and found that I could still see the billionaire, who was now busy trying to ignore a fan girl begging for an autograph. I smirked at the sight of the icy blue eyes glaring at his cigarette and the girl in turns.  
  
'Maybe if you weren't dressed so much like a whore you'd get more positive attention.' I thought, looking disgustedly at the tight spaghetti blue tank and the black mini skirt, fish net panty hose and stiletto heels that were discolored because of the mud and rain. I don't think she could have been wearing any more make-up either. Scoffing, I tested my drink gingerly, not quite up for scorching my mouth because of my ever-present arrogance. I sat like that, reserved and perceptive, watching the rain finally start to stop up, and sighed. I didn't want to go home, storm or no storm, that was just an excuse for prolonging the inevitable.  
  
"There's nothing worse than a wet dog."  
  
I turned my head towards the rustic voice, not surprised to see Kaiba throwing away his cup and finishing the rest of his cigarette. I didn't understand why he found it amusing to insult me.  
  
"Love ya' too Kaiba." I murmured sarcastically, returning my saddening gaze to the streets, where the sun was actually coming out. I would have no more excuses for being home late once the rain had completely gone away.  
  
I heard the man snort, but saw him linger from the corner of my eye. I didn't know what he was waiting for, but he left moments later, walking out to the front of the store. I heard him buy another pack of cigarettes, Kool Milds, before his long legs took him outside. My head fell forward slightly, and my depression snuck up on me again, which always happened whenever Kaiba was in the position of walking away from me. I don't know, it just always made me feel rejected.  
  
I stood, tossing my half full cup into the waste bin before shoving my hands in my pockets and leaving the building. I slowed my pace when I went down the stairs though, knowing the walk from here to my home was just under five minutes, and lifted my head to look at all the happy people recently roaming the now clear streets. My eyes stopped on Kaiba, who was leaning on the hood of his car, watching me.  
  
I felt a nervous bubble rise in my throat, and kept walking, though walking from the Bean towards the side walk, because it was set a little further from the street, put me in the position to walk right towards the taller man. He was watching me, which made things worse, cigarette in his hand by his side with his other arm wrapped around his middle lazily. It must be nice running yourself on your own schedule, being old enough to live on your own and adopt your kid brother, being rich enough to afford anything and being intelligent enough to put yourself successfully over everyone else when it came to technology and business. I turned on my heel and skirted around the edge of the grass and onto the horizontal part of the sidewalk, trying to get away faster.  
  
I kept my pace the same, not letting Kaiba get to me with the way he was just staring. His expression had seemed so blank and void, but with the intent he had in his gaze it was getting unnerving.  
  
"Mutt." He called, and I stopped, though keeping my back to him, and waited for his voice again.  
  
It took him a while, but eventually I heard the scuffing of his black leather work shoes as he stood straighter and walked the few paces towards where I was. I couldn't help the nervous reflex of my muscles tensing, the feeling of someone approaching me from behind not something I was very comfortable with. Especially if that person was probably out to hurt me, mentally, emotionally of physically.  
  
"Your soaked." He stated, an obvious observation, and I sighed, turning to face him now, exasperated.  
  
"What do you want?" I asked, voice soft and totally out of character for me, but I was having a bad day.  
  
Not bad as in angry mind you, or I'd be chewing this guy's head off right now, but bad as in depressed. Father was not going to settle lightly for my late arrival, and I was not in the mood to deal with his insults, his pain. Kaiba wasn't helping.  
  
"Nothing in particular." "Then why are you bothering me? Don't you have some other poor low-life to pick on?"  
  
He shrugged and crossed his arms after flicking the butt of the cigarette into the street, afterwards locking eyes with me again. I shivered, but not out of fear or annoyance, out of coldness. It was the middle of November after all, and being drenched like this with the frosty wind, despite the sun's rays, was starting to get to me. On impulse, I brought my hands up to rub at my arms, and tried in vain to stop the chattering of my teeth. Kaiba saw this.  
  
"How much further do you have to walk?"  
  
I raised an eyebrow and frowned. What the hell was he up to? I'm sorry but no matter how much I fantasize about this guy I was not about to soak up any kind gesture from him, especially with our history.  
  
"Why do you care?" "It's just a question, or are you that stubborn to even risk freezing to death when I was going to offer you something as simple as a ride." "You're never this pleasant. What happened, you finally get laid?"  
  
I couldn't help it. I had always wished me and Kaiba were on better terms, had always wondered if we would ever be just friends if I could have nothing more, but this change of attitude was different and too sudden. I didn't mean to snap like I had, but with the combination of my father waiting my return, the fact I was freezing, and Kaiba being suspiciously friendly was wearing at my patience, revealing frustrated anger that wasn't necessarily directed at the man before me.  
  
"Stupid mutt. Can't even accept someone else's kindness. Are you that self- righteous?" He scowled, sentences short and cropped with his own renowned anger.  
  
"Look, Kaiba, today is not the day for you to spring up and start playing Mr. Nice Guy with me. I'm in trouble enough as it is." I broke off in a murmur, down casting my gaze as to avoid his scrutiny. If he only knew what my father would think, what my father would DO if he saw that I had to 'bum' a ride off some rich jerk just to get home.  
  
He would be extremely jealous and beat me, think I was making friends in high places to leave him and beat me, or think I was going gay and beat me, the stupid homophobe. Not to mention what hell he would do to my sister, and I wasn't about to let that happen.  
  
Turning, with one last apologetic glance at the billionaire, I walked off, pace a little faster now that I wasn't just late, but incredibly late. I might not be able to walk tomorrow if I was lucky enough. With the thought of possible molestation on my mind though, I jerked a little too quickly when a strong hand grabbed my elbow firmly. I spun, not meaning to act so defensive because of all my past experiences, and came back face to face with Kaiba.  
  
"What IS it?" I almost shrieked, shaking slightly and fixing my coat vainly, trying to find something for my trembling hands to do other than, well, tremble. I barely noticed the somewhat startled look in the other's expression though, before it faded and he brought his hand back to himself, looking for all the world like he hadn't known why he had reached for me.  
  
Feeling ashamed and slightly embarrassed, I turned and walked off, nearly running towards my home as the rain started again.  
  
~*~  
  
I sighed, slinging my coat onto the floor near the front of the hall and walked towards the living room. Peeking inside, I found my father sleeping peacefully, for once in his life, and not drunk, which I couldn't have been more thankful for.  
  
Closing my eyes and allowing a small smirk to wash across my face gently, I turned the opposite way into the kitchen, and moved to start dinner. Hopefully, I'd be able to stay on his good side tonight, something I rarely ever do anymore. Just as I opened the freezer, I felt a pair of warm arms, bare though to the frosty breeze coming in through the broken window, wrap around my neck. My grin widened, and I turned in Serenity's arms to hug her back.  
  
"I tried to keep him from drinking, I knew you wouldn't be home right away." "Thanks, sis. It means a lot." "Don't worry about it, let's just get dinner ready before he wakes up."  
  
I nodded down at her and we separated to find what little food we had left. I succeeded in finding a pack of Ramen noodles, and Serenity had discovered a bag of mixed vegetables in the back of the freezer. Luckily, they hadn't expired yet, and I set the pans out to make both. This was solely for father though, and my sister wound around the small space, looking for something for us to eat.  
  
I let my shoulders slump as I leant against the counter, eyes closing as the water slowly started to warm up. We needed to go shopping, but I wouldn't get my paycheck until Thursday, and I wasn't about to ask Honda for more stuff. I knew he'd willingly give us something to live off of, but I was tired of having to depend on my best bud. He always yelled at me, telling me it didn't matter, if I needed something, he'd give it to me. I hated using my friends like that though, no matter how much they offered to help.  
  
"God damnit woman, where's mah whiskey soda?!"  
  
I inhaled a sharp breath at the sound of my father's angered voice. He had not drunk yet, but if he was starting, even before dinner, I was in trouble. I turned to the stove and made like I was cooking even if I had yet to wait for the water to boil, and Serenity rushed in, a large handprint on her cheek.  
  
"Jou, where's that bottle of his Canadian whiskey?" She asked, almost breathless, and I reached into the cabinet over the counter to get the half empty bottle my father had somehow managed to buy the night before. I handed it to her and she took off with a large glass and a can of Coke. He always complained if we tried to mix it, so we never did anymore.  
  
I heard Serenity begging for forgiveness and my father's sleepy huffs and 'yeah rights', before he finally shooed her off to the kitchen to get him a bag of chips. I felt my eyes widen at that when my sister came in, just as pale.  
  
"Serenity, we don't have any more chips, we finished them off a couple of days ago."  
  
"I know! Oh my God, what are we going to tell him?"  
  
Our voices were low and panicked, and from the look of my sister, she didn't need any more stress. She had a job interview tomorrow, to be an intern for some firm office that belonged to a lower branch of Kaiba Corp. Ironic wasn't it? But she'd be damned if that handprint didn't go away by morning. I made up my mind in that second, and pulled Serenity towards the stove, and went in her place, hands behind my back submissively.  
  
I glanced nervously out the front window, how wide it was and how the sun shone in and would probably highlight my beating, but was more worried about other things.  
  
"Father?" "Wha do you want?" He snapped, sipping on the straight liquor instead of mixing it. "There are no more chips, sir."  
  
He turned his glare on me from the small TV set blaring an episode of 'Texas Justice', the whiskey bottle halfway on its journey back to his mouth.  
  
"Where the hell did they all go then?!" "W-we.I ate them, it was my dinner a couple of nights ago." "Why you little punk!"  
  
With that he lunged, forgetting the whiskey as it was dropped to the cheap coffee table and shattered. The first hit was off aim and landed where my shoulder turned into my neck, effectively making me fall forwards and in the way of his irate, booted foot as it flew at my gut. I gasped, but did not cry out and rolled to my back, placing myself into view of the window that started at floor level and ended at the ceiling. I couldn't see if anyone was watching because the sun was too bright, preparing to set just beyond the trees of Heritage Park.  
  
"How could you! With what little food we have YOU go and eat it! Who pays for all this shit, huh?! ME! Not you! Now, get up and go make me dinner before I decide you make a better throw rug!"  
  
I did, rolling more towards the window as to be away from the enraged man, who continued uttering curses about his wasted liquor and left the room with a slight limp. At least he hadn't molested me, but that was only because he wasn't drunk yet.  
  
Serenity didn't look surprised when I came into the room, more like guilty, and went to prepare an ice wrap. I smiled weakly at her before returning to the counter I had previously been leaning on, closing my eyes. I wished I could just run away, take my sister and live on our own, to make it by ourselves. I couldn't support us though, and we had yet to find out what kind of money Serenity would be making at this internship. I only earned seven bucks an hour over at Plato's Bakery, and ten an hour at Discount Tire Co. down the street from here. It should have been enough, if it hadn't been for my father having the paychecks written out under his name at the bank.  
  
I opened my eyes again tiredly, as I heard the telltale noises of boiling water, and stood up straight gingerly to dump the pack of hard noodles into the one pan, cutting open the vegetable package and doing the same in the other pot. That's when I looked up and out the cracked window above the stove, and gasped, eyes widening.  
  
There was a car, a very expensive, blood red car, sitting at the curb closest to my house. I could make out a figure in the back seat; nose and hands pressed against the window, but could not see whom it was. The thing that startled me the most though, was the fact Kaiba was there, arms resting against the top of the car with his chin resting on his forearms. He had been standing there watching me the entire time. I couldn't see the rest of his body, he was on the driver's side of the vehicle, but his icy blue eyes were locked onto me, even at this distance.  
  
I couldn't do anything, lost in shock, when Serenity came up from behind me and pointed at the same thing I was staring at, absently holding the icepack against the large bruise forming on the side of my neck.  
  
"Who is that? He's been there for a good fifteen minutes now. Do you know him?"  
  
I turned to look at her, shame clearly written in my features, and nodded solemnly. She didn't see my embarrassment.  
  
"Well, why don't you go say hi! It's obvious the guy doesn't do the whole knocking on doors thing. Don't worry, I'll finish cooking, go ahead." She urged, and I couldn't help but do as she bid, leaving her at the stove and walking slowly towards the front door.  
  
I slipped my shoes on subconsciously, before opening the wooden door, and then the screen and stepping out onto the small ledge of a porch. I didn't continue walking down the pavement, into my yard, and out to the street to stand directly in front of him, I felt this was a safer distance. I had never wanted him to see the dump I had to live in, and all I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and die. He probably thought less of me now, and that's what hurt the most.  
  
"Why did you follow me Kaiba?" I called, voice quiet enough not to alert my father to the visitors but loud enough for him to hear. He said nothing, just continued to stare.  
  
The figure in the back moved, and the back door was opened to reveal a mop of raven colored hair and bright green eyes. He had brought Mokuba as well. I would have thrown up, had it not been for the fact that there was nothing in my stomach to begin with. The child looked appalled as his eyes traveled from me to scan the house I was standing in front of. Cautiously, he walked forward, leaving the door to the Jaguar wide open as he came. I tensed inside, wishing he had shut the door for safety sake in this neighborhood, but I relaxed when I remembered Kaiba still standing there.  
  
"Jou? This isn't where you live, right?"  
  
I looked back down to Mokuba, and smiled sadly at the plea in his young voice.  
  
"Yes, it is Mokuba. I'm sorry you had to see it." "No, I wanted to. Jou, c-can I ask you something?"  
  
I nodded, and the boy took a deep breath before running up to me and latching onto my waist in a tight hug. Startled at first, I let one of my hands fall to rest on his head and the other around his slim shoulders, feeling him shudder in the onslaught of tears. He was trying not to cry, and I wondered what he was thinking.  
  
"Jou, why do you stay? Why do you let that man do that to you?"  
  
I tensed and closed my eyes tightly, not too up for the idea of crying in front of Mr. Big Shot over there, and not to look weakened in front of his little brother. I needed to be strong for his sake. It hurt that they had been there long enough to watch my father beat me, even though it was a minor attack compared to most, and I took several deep breaths in order to calm my beating heart.  
  
"Listen, Mokuba, go home and forget what you saw. I have to deal with this, not you." "But Jou-!" "No 'buts' little one. Go on."  
  
He sniffled, but didn't pull away for some time. Even then he looked up at me with large, glistening eyes and small trails of tears slowly drying on his cheeks. I smiled a little more genuine for his sake and ruffled his hair slightly.  
  
"What'd yah come out here for in the first place anyway, kiddo?" He sniffled again. "Well, I-I wanted to see, if you wanted to come over. Jus' ta hang out. I haven't gotten to see you for a while."  
  
I chuckled gently and knelt down so that he was taller than me, looking up to make eye contact with him.  
  
"Sure, but maybe not today." I answered, if not somewhat grimly, and brightened a bit at Mokuba's relieved grin. "Thanks Jou!" He said and hugged me again, around the neck this time, and I felt my smile fade into his shoulder as I once again met eyes with Kaiba.  
  
After we parted and the kid was safely strapped in in the back seat of the car, I walked up to the other side of the car and face Kaiba at a closer distance. We remained silent, still looking at the other, trying to measure something. It was a comfortable silence, if not tense, and Kaiba stood up straighter, elbows still on the roof of the car.  
  
"Poor puppy.I had a feeling this was happening."  
  
I cringed, but then snarled, crossing my arms tightly over my chest as if to restrain my new hatred for the billionaire.  
  
"This is none of your damn business Kaiba! You had NO right to follow me home and you have NO right now to undermine me in that self-centered way of yours that you ALWAYS do! Save it for school on Monday, ok? That way, I'll be in the right mood to deal with it!" I yelled, turning on my heel and all but stomping back into my house, hands balling into fists at my sides.  
  
"Mutt." He called just as my hand was about to rest on the brass handle of the outward screen door. I didn't answer, like before, and I heard a car door opening. I turned my head to glance over my shoulder, to see that Kaiba had walked around the front to open the passenger's door, standing next to it like one of his fancy butlers might do for him.  
  
My eyes widened a fraction more as I realized it was an invitation to escape, but almost gasped from the weight of reality when I remembered my sister. I closed my eyes, wishing the sight would just go away, and shook my head. Kaiba did nothing for a while, but then stood and closed the door slowly, never breaking eye contact.  
  
"I expect you to be over tomorrow, if it is Mokuba's wish to see you." Was the last thing he said before disappearing into the driver's side and taking off down the broken street.  
  
"I'll be there, Seto."  
  
~*~  
  
TBC 


	2. Flesh Warrant

Flesh Warrant  
  
Warnings: ANGSTY YAOI LEMON, shoo kiddies.  
  
Pairings: Seto/Jou  
  
Notes: The title does not mean this is another PWP arc, but I do warn you, each part is extremely long.  
  
Thanks: To NEB, the dork who once again, slave-drove me into writing this Arc. He pities the pairings that I don't pay much attention to when it comes to lemons so this one is ALL about the S/J.  
  
~*~  
  
The rain had stopped by the time I woke up, groggily rolling out of the small twin sized bed I shared with Shizuka. Our father chose to sleep on the couch most of the time, but if he felt so inclined some days he'd throw us out of this one bedroom. That happened very rarely anymore because his drinking had gotten worse, and he usually drank until he passed out, which was the floor more often than the couch even.  
  
I yawned and stretched, tucking the thin sheet around my sister's frail body before slipping on my shoes and a different shirt. I didn't bother changing the jeans I had slept in, they were still warm from my body heat, so I wasn't complaining. It was cold this morning, I noticed, looking out the small window that was just over our bed. I shivered, leaning over to pick up the electric heater that Shizuka and me hardly ever used and walked out into the cramped hallway.  
  
I relaxed when I heard the loud snores of my father and walked into the small, gray den, setting the device on the coffee table before going to the coat closet. There was only one coat in there, and an old broom, but thankfully, two extra blankets on the top shelf. I grabbed both, covered my father with one, and my sister with the other, throwing the thicker jacket on and hooking up the small heater so that it washed warm air across my fathers face. After that was done, I left silently.  
  
The sidewalks changed from shattered to brand new pretty quickly, our neighborhood bordering Kaiba's. They were two very different places for people to live, each a drastic change from the other with no middle separating the two. The rich could always jeer at us, and we the poor could always sulk at them.  
  
I envied them, all of them, with their large three story homes, their luxurious Jaguars and Porsches, the family life all of them seemed to share. I envied the fathers running around the front yard with their sons, playing football or washing their expensive vehicles. Today though, it was gloomy, the land barely soaking up all the rain we had last night, so everyone was inside. Lethargy swept up from the new neighborhood as I walked through it like a wind, enticing anyone to stop and relax. The people weren't thinking along the same lines of course with Mother Nature, but it was all the same.  
  
I shoved my hands in my jean pockets as an exceptionally lofty home came into view around the corner, the paneling a bright white with the trim and the shutters a dark navy blue. The door was pitch black and just over it was a plaque that read 'Kaiba Corp. Owners'. I shook my head, I'd been here before, but it still stunned me that two people would be happy living in a maze like that. I don't know about them, but I'd sure as hell be one lonely young man. But knowing me, I'd probably get lost anyway, which would keep me occupied.  
  
I rang the doorbell gingerly, nervous about being in the same house as Kaiba, but I was always nervous inwardly around the man. It was just this air of pride that constantly surrounded him that kind of drew me to him like a moth to a light, and I was persistently afraid of doing something stupid to make him think less of me. I know, sounds melodramatic, but that was the mood for today.  
  
A tall, graying man answered the door, nose high in the air and kind amber eyes the same color as mine. He smiled faintly and bowed slightly to me, before ushering me inside and politely taking my jacket, telling me to slip off my shoes by the door and brought me a pair of black house slippers. They were a tad big, and the man, Oliver he said his name was, told me they were a pair of 'Master Kaiba's'. I couldn't help but grin at the address the guy had given the billionaire, and followed him down a network of hallways to what looked and sounded to be a game room. Mokuba was in there, currently busy with a virtual reality game that was displayed on a large TV screen in front of him. He couldn't see us enter, but I think he heard us, because he turned towards the door and lifted the front part of the helmet to see straight.  
  
"Jou! You made it!" He cried, taking off the gear to run up to me. He didn't hesitate this time to hug me tightly around my waist, and I laughed lightly, hugging him back although he was unknowingly putting pressure on the bruise from my father's foot last night.  
  
"I told yah I'd come by."  
  
"Thanks, you're the only person that really actually talks to me that doesn't just want to use my stuff." He mumbled, muffled by my shirt.  
  
I ruffled his hair as he stepped away and grinned up at me, and I felt a swell of possessiveness towards the little boy, not quite young but still younger than Shizuka by at least a year. I think that's why I felt like I should protect him, even if he already had a big brother, it was almost automatic.  
  
"Come on, let's race!"  
  
I let Mokuba drag me over to another far corner of the room, the too big slippers I was wearing slapping against the carpet and almost slipping off a couple of times. Mokuba wore similar slippers, except they were dull silver from being worn so much and they actually fit him.  
  
He set us up in front of another semi-large screen, which was hooked up to run all the game consoles the boy had. I swear I had never even heard of some of them, most being slightly older models but the older a console the more games it had, and besides, Kaiba could always just mess with the graphics disc and make the effects seem newer and high-tech. He did most anything his brother asked, and I only wished I had his money just to do the same for my family, get my father some help and a doctor.  
  
After rewiring the mass of plugs and games, Mokuba eventually handed me an oddly shaped controller and flicked on this X-Box thing, loading the game 'Taxi Driver 3' and set it up for us to both race each other in the streets of a city called Miami. I'd been to Miami before, but it hadn't been pleasant or sunny the entire time, we had been in court during most the stay, fighting for custody.  
  
Mokuba won four out of five games easily, and I just got lucky the last time. I guessed his fingers were getting sore, I had never seen someone hit the buttons and twist the control stick on a controller like Mokuba did, it was almost as if pressure mattered. I wondered distantly if he had ever broken a controller that way. We played for a few more hours, laughing and teasing the other about how they controlled their car. More often than not I started to goof off and drove drunkenly around the track, purposely running into other cars and narrating what the guy would be saying if he were, in fact, intoxicated. Mokuba loved it, and was beat red with tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. Neither of us noticed that Kaiba had come down stairs, standing against the wall just a few feet behind us and was watching intently.  
  
"Lunch is ready." He said, and I swear to God both of us leapt three feet in the air as if we had been caught with our hands in the cookie jar after bedtime. Mokuba grinned enthusiastically at his brother, who quirked a smirk back and stood straight to leave us.  
  
"Come on Jou, Molly's cooking is the best! You'll love it!"  
  
"Alright, just let me fix these God-forsaken slippers."  
  
Mokuba laughed again and ran ahead of Kaiba and me, who was purposely walking slowly for some reason. I jogged slightly, but only to catch up with Kaiba and not Mokuba. I looked at him, the slipper shoes still flopping despite my feeble attempts at tightening the ends, and stuck my hands back into my pockets. He made like he was ignoring me, arms still crossed but eyes not quite as icy as normal. I guess he just felt more comfortable at home.  
  
"Why didn't you come up to my door yesterday? You could have knocked."  
  
He didn't answer, and I fidgeted as he led us down the hall towards the main stairway, the one that was mildly narrow at the top and widened out at the bottom elegantly, graced with the light of an incredible chandelier.  
  
"I didn't feel the need to." Was his quiet response, and he hesitated at the top of the stairs, just looking down them thoughtfully. "Why don't you leave?" He asked, his rustic voice almost a whisper, and I snapped my eyes towards him.  
  
"I can't!"  
  
"Why?" He asked again, calmly, and I quieted my nerves to try and think of an explanation.  
  
I could leave, but that would mean living on the streets, stealing, and having to put Shizuka through all that was not an appealing thought. I had no where to go, no money to use, no other relatives to call on and no friends I wanted to burden. Yu-Gi would probably be over-sympathetic, Yami would just agree with his smaller lover, then there was Ryou, who would probably be the same as Yug but Bakura might get a little bothered and possessive. Marik and his dark half were out of the question, so was Anzu and Mai, which left Honda, the only person who could put up with me for a few days at a time. I was missing someone though, I realized, there was Kaiba and Mokuba on that list, they had plenty of rooms, enough of money to support this entire city on a moderate level, and with the size of this place and Kaiba's schedule we wouldn't be around him enough to bother him, not to mention we'd be keeping Mokuba company.  
  
I shook my head quickly, actually coming to realize what I was contemplating, and glanced to Kaiba who was studying me curiously, awaiting my answer.  
  
"I jus' can't Kaiba. As I told yah before, it's none of your business, so don worry 'bout it." I all but growled, and moved down the stairs, glaring at them as if it was their fault my family was disappearing, their fault I had actually fallen for Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Stoic, their fault I had no money and it was their fault I was so traumatized.  
  
"Mutt." He called, and I grumbled, not really enjoying that name too much all of a sudden, with all the times he's used it to get my attention.  
  
I would show him though, and didn't stop this time, no matter how much I wanted to, and kept walking. I got to the bottom of the stairs too quickly for some reason and walked off towards Mokuba's happy voice, not sure if I had heard right when I say I think I heard Kaiba murmur, 'I just want to help'.  
  
~*~  
  
The rest of the day had gone smoother, the sun coming out to heat the township up and to dry the rest of the mud and rain. This, of course, brought out the kids and their proud parents, brought out the footballs, baseballs and baseball mitts. I hung my head as the lot of the people started to filter away around me as I walked, the sun slowly setting, fading into orange and red before disappearing behind the tall pine trees in the park. After more games, dinner, and a round of street hockey once it was dry outside, Mokuba had tired himself out completely and been sent to bed by the ever watchful Kaiba. Kaiba himself had actually seen me to the door, eyes burning holes into my skin the entire time I was switching shoes and retrieving my jacket. It was semi-weird, the attention making me anxious and fretful for some reason.  
  
The worse part was that he had asked if I would stop by tomorrow as well, for his brother's sake. If I didn't know any better, I would say the guy was up to something, but you never really did know when it came to Seto, and as much of a crush as I had on him I wouldn't question him either. It wouldn't benefit anyone to piss him off.  
  
I sighed, unlocking the front door and walking into the silence of the house, drowned out by the noise of my father's snoring. I thanked God he was unconscious, and hurried as quietly as I could into the only bedroom located in the back at the end of the hallway. I opened and closed the creaky old door slowly, and then turned to face my sister, who sat up in bed, wide-awake.  
  
"What are you doing awake still?" I whispered, and she smiled sleepily.  
  
"Waiting for you silly. Come on and get some rest, I just wanted to make sure you came home ok."  
  
I smiled warmly and set my jacket on the floor, taking off my t-shirt and pulling on a softer one to sleep in. It was longer so I could slip off my pants and look for a clean pair of boxers, seeing as how I didn't have any on currently due to the lack thereof, and shot Serenity a mock glare when she murmured a quiet cat call.  
  
"Your just jealous you can't have what you see."  
  
"Oh yes Jou, that's my biggest problem is wanting my brother's body and not being able to touch." I chuckled under my breath, slipping on the only under shorts I could find and joined her on the only bed, the sheet around her shoulders.  
  
"So how'd the interview go?"  
  
"Pretty good, I'm confident that I'll get the internship, I'm just worried about what dad will say when I'm gone as often as you are to work."  
  
"Don't worry about him, all right? I'll take the brunt of his anger like I always do."  
  
She looked at me guiltily but I hushed her when I hugged her tightly, sitting on the thin cot noiselessly. I lay down first, helping her spread the sheet to cover us equally, and she lay her head on my shoulder with her arm around my chest. I sighed through my nose, listening to her breath before she passed out exhausted from dealing with my father all day.  
  
I couldn't close my eyes though; my mind was too busy with other things to get to the sleep part of tonight, and so I just relaxed and let the thoughts swirl. As if you didn't know already, they were mostly about Kaiba, the others about my sister's well being.  
  
I groaned inwardly when those icy blue eyes popped into view, closing my own forcefully and stiffening under my sister's comfortable weight. Seto Kaiba's face was not something I wanted to fall asleep to; because when I did I always dreamt about him afterwards and then woke up with Shizuka asking me what I did to give myself morning wood. I shuddered then, never liking the face she gave me when she commented about how I was 'poking' her.  
  
I rubbed my forehead with my free palm, before successfully diverting my mind to better, non-perverted things like school and work. I think I had to work for Ben tomorrow over at the Auto Shop (Discount Tire Co.), but I'd have to call and make sure before I went over to visit Mokuba like I had been asked. Which brought my train of thought back to Kaiba. I smacked myself mentally, and finally gave up. And as I fell asleep I grinned, wondering what my sister would do if she woke back up to me sleep- masturbating, remembering the bucket of ice I had gotten last time for it.  
  
~*~  
  
I groaned, half awake with my face buried into the only pillow on the bed and my hands clenching the sheets tightly. I was sweating as I moved, rubbing my lower body against the mattress almost desperately as the name 'Seto' kept threatening to roll off my tongue. I restrained though, finally opening my eyes to the bright morning sun and snapped up, currently forgetting my aroused state when I noticed my sister gone. I had actually been anticipating another drenching in cold water, and now sitting here a little disappointed and stuck with a rock hard erection just made me grumpy.  
  
I knew Shizuka was back at her future office already, because my alarm clock said ten am and I knew I had over slept. I yawned into my hand stretching before flopping onto my back again and looking up at the ceiling. My fingers moved to the 'problem' standing proudly from my boxers and wrapped around the throbbing shaft, wringing a quiet moan from my throat. I licked my lips and pictured the cause of my early morning hard on, watching my mental image of Kaiba crouch over me in all his glorious nudity like a panther, eyeing me like a predator would his next meal. I began moving my hips to meet my hand when my imaginary lover lay his body against mine in the show that was going on behind my eyelids, and started panting lightly when I pretended his hand had moved down to replace mine as I stroked myself.  
  
My eyes rolled into the back of my head as I came, biting my lip hard to keep from screaming out my passion as it made a mess of what was once my only pair of clean boxers. It was a few minutes before I managed to climb back down to reality, and got out of bed, pulling off the soiled shorts and tossing them into the wicker basket in the corner, hopefully not on any of Shizuka's clothes again.  
  
I stopped when I saw a piece of paper laying at my feet, knowing it was from my sister because she knew I'd see it there when I got up. I picked up the note, and smirked as I read through it.  
  
'Dear Bed Hog,  
  
I left for the office at around 8 to make sure I got the job and sign paperwork; so don't worry if you wake up to me not being there. Father should be out with his drinking buddies for a while, so do what you gotta do and I'll meet you back at the house tonight.  
  
Oh, and next time you feel like having another wet dream I don't mind the little moans and groans here and there but TRY not to scream "SETO!" in my ear please. I already have one annoying alarm clock.  
  
Love, Shizuka'  
  
I blushed furiously, before laughing it off nervously and crumpling the note. Although this meant my little sister knew who I had the 'hots' for, it also meant I was home alone as of now, and I couldn't help but enjoy the weight that left my chest at that feeling of slight freedom.  
  
I pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans, scratching my stomach as it rumbled demandingly. I was starving, although last nights dinner at the Kaiba's had been more than satisfactory we didn't have bountiful food like that, no matter how much I wished we did. I gasped suddenly, in the midst of pulling on a cleaner black long sleeve shirt and remembered Kaiba asking for me to come back over, for 'Mokuba's sake' as he'd put it. I slapped my forehead, again, before quickly putting on my shoes and socks and grabbing my jacket off the floor from last night. I wondered if Kaiba had wanted me there at a specific time, but forgot that as I rushed out of the empty house, locking it behind me and slipping a key beneath the doormat for Shizuka later.  
  
I practically ran the entire way; panting moderately by the time I made it up the sidewalk to the mansion. I met the gardener as he was walking out of the small shed connected to the side of the garage, and he grinned at me, stopping to set his tools against the side of the wall.  
  
"Ello! Can I help you?" He asked, voice thick with an Australian accent.  
  
"Yeah, I was here yesterday and Kai-.Mr. Kaiba asked if I'd come back today to keep his brother company."  
  
"Ah, give me a sec an' I'll page the butler."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
I watched him walk back inside, and stuffed my hands inside my pockets as I waited, finally catching my breath and my heartbeat. I was nervous again, after last night's fiasco, which only made it worse, and I was afraid I was going to start blushing and stuttering like an idiot. I was hoping that wouldn't happen, and grinned politely at Oliver as he walked out to stand on the front step.  
  
"Mr. Katsuya, Master Mokuba expects you in the Gaming Room."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
I followed him silently, changing into the same house slippers that hadn't fit me yesterday before he walked me to where the youngest Kaiba was waiting for me. When we reached our destination, Oliver stopped, looking around the dark room. Mokuba had left, turning off the lights and the butler looked at me once more.  
  
"Forgive me, Master Mokuba seems to have left. I will take you to the library until I can locate the young master."  
  
I nod and obediently walk in his footsteps to the room just down the hall, and he opens the door to let me inside the library. He leaves after, closing the door once more and I look in awe at the extensive collection of books in the room. The ceiling was high, but the bookcases circled the room on every wall, reaching the broad ceiling from the floor lacking any empty spaces. I glance around slowly, running my fingers across a couple books, reading their titles and actually surprised at finding Stephen King's entire collection of novels, short story collections, and all the books he rewrote. I even found one of the screenplays he wrote, the first edition copy of 'Maximum Overdrive', the version he only released to a hundred select buyers for a price that had been way over my head.  
  
I whistled under my breath in amazement, but then yelped and nearly fell over in shock when I turned to see a person resting in a plush armchair. It wasn't just anyone though, it was Seto Kaiba, and he wasn't just resting, he was full out sleeping. I let out the breath I had sucked in and just looked at the for-once-in-his-life peacefully seeming young man, his head lolled to one side gently and an open book in his lap. He looked exhausted, small bags under his eyes, and I felt pity for him in that moment.  
  
Curious though, I stepped forward a little closer and glanced at the title of the novel in his hands, a small smile splaying across my face as I made out the faded gold printed words of 'Hamlet'. So, Mr. High and Mighty did have a soft side. I chuckled inwardly, and stepped back quietly when the door was opened again and Oliver came in.  
  
"Mr. Katsuya, if you'll follow me please."  
  
I nod, and leave the limber CEO napping without making a sound.  
  
Once in the hallway, the butler led me once again down the stairs and then outside through the back door in the kitchen. We were met with a large, expensive looking pool spanning a good two hundred into the backyard, the little black dot that constituted as Mokuba's head bobbing up and down in the very center.  
  
"Hey Jou! Sorry I didn't wait until you got here, but it was such a nice day and I couldn't resist!"  
  
I smiled, "Ah don't worry about it, I ain't got swim trunks anyway."  
  
The boy frowned, before swimming closer and touching the edge nearest me. He turned to Oliver and thought for a moment.  
  
"Where's my brother?" He asked the old man.  
  
"In the library, sleeping Master Mokuba."  
  
"Oh, well then leave him alone. He should have an extra swimsuit Jou could wear. Take him to go get for me?"  
  
"Are you sure you shouldn't ask Master Seto first, young sir?"  
  
"Nah, big brother wouldn't mind."  
  
I fidgeted nervously, not too up for 'borrowing' Seto's clothes without him knowing, but the puppy dog look on the kid's face melted my resolve, and again I found myself back inside the maze of hallways, headed for the eldest Kaiba's bedroom.  
  
I prayed the whole way there that Kaiba either stayed asleep and never notice a thing, or that he woke up now before I got to his room. As much as I was ready to jump the guy for the dream he invaded last night I didn't necessarily want him walking into his bedroom to find me naked and halfway into pulling HIS swimsuit up my legs. I shuddered at the thought, and cursed myself mentally, knowing the whole pool scene would be tonight's fantasy. Damnit.  
  
But, to my luck, we got there to find it empty. Oliver dug through a drawer for a whole second before brandishing a navy blue pair of trunks and handing them to me delicately.  
  
"When you are finished I assume you can find your way back out. I will be around the house incase either you or the young master needs me."  
  
And with that he was gone. I paused though, in the thick silence to take in the sheer size of Seto's bedroom. I bet that I could fit my entire house in this place, and that's not saying a lot, but it still amazed me that someone could be content in such a large room, all by themselves. I shook my head with a huff and undressed quickly, setting my old clothes in a pile on his new carpet and held up the swimming shorts. I knew they would be too big, I could already tell just by looking at them, but sighed and bent down to slip a foot inside anyway.  
  
And would you believe it, of all the times I had asked God not to wake Seto the CEO chose that moment to waltz into his room, greeted by the sight of my very naked ass sticking straight up in the air. I froze and looked over my shoulder, face beat red to find him standing there, mouth slightly hanging open and eyes wide, his eyebrows disappearing beneath his hairline. I managed a wavering grin and slowly stood back up to drag the shorts the rest of the way up, and stayed facing away from him as I collected my clothes. Neither of us spoke for a good ten minutes, and I clenched my teeth together hard, waiting for him to say something, anything, to lighten the situation and recreate the mood as if this had never happened. But he didn't.  
  
"Well, that was certainly a somewhat different, image to fully wake up to." He murmured, and I finally turned to face him, knowing all the blood in my body had rushed to my face, and swallowed the lump in my throat.  
  
"Uh," I stuttered for a moment. "Mokuba, sent me in here with, uh, Oliver and um, told me to, uh, put on one of your, bathing suits. He kind of, um, wanted me to swim with him and I, uh didn't have my own suit."  
  
Once I had finally managed to get those two difficult sentences out nothing else seemed to move, Seto's eye twitched sure but other than that I was left to look my usual idiotic self once more, standing where as I should be bowing. I felt so insignificant under Seto's slowly hardening gaze as he set his mind straight, facial expression returning to his normal blank stare before he moved and made room for me to exit. I took the hint and all but bolted from the room, down the stairs and outside before Seto could say anything else that would embarrass me further.  
  
I kicked myself the rest of that day, both thankful and disappointed I didn't see the eldest Kaiba again before I left for home. And if this wouldn't put a permanent dent in my book of 'Best All-Time Screw Ups' then I couldn't imagine what would.  
  
~*~  
  
TBC.  
  
~*~  
  
So, how do you like the change thus far? Yeah, and if you couldn't tell, I changed the plot a little. LOL. See if you can't figure out what this story is all about now. I'll give you a hint, it's not JUST about Seto and Jou getting together either. 


	3. Audio Slave

Audio Slave  
  
Warnings: ANGSTY YAOI LEMON, shoo kiddies.  
  
Pairings: Seto/Jou  
  
Notes: The title does not mean this is another PWP arc, but I do warn you, each part is extremely long.  
  
Thanks: To NEB, the dork who once again, slave-drove me into writing this Arc. He pities the pairings that I don't pay much attention to when it comes to lemons so this one is ALL about the S/J.  
  
~*~  
  
I heard more than saw Shizuka grin at me, before her laughter erupted in a loud, but rich voice that filled the small kitchen and possibly the entire neighborhood. I blushed harder and slammed my head against the table I was sitting at lightly, and my sister walked over to punch me in the shoulder.  
  
"Well, since you've had quite an interesting day," she stopped to giggle again. "I guess you won't find any amusement in the fact that I got my job."  
  
I snorted and lay there stupidly, her moving to get a meager dinner for herself seeing as how my father was already full and drunk on the couch. He hadn't moved for hours, and I prayed he would stay that way until morning.  
  
I sighed as Shizuka's continuous bouts of laughter started to quiet before they stopped altogether, and began regretting telling her about my little adventure in Seto Kaiba's bed room. I knew I would never hear the end of it, especially after last night when she had found out about my little fetish for the man. In a way though, I was glad, because now I knew she didn't mind that her big brother was homosexual, and that she wasn't in anyway discouraging it.  
  
"Hey, bed hog, you hungry?" She called over her shoulder, and I turned my head, cheek still lying on the table.  
  
"Nah, Mokuba talked Kaiba into feeding me before I was kicked out."  
  
"Oh, I see how it is. You just don't like my cooking."  
  
"Yup. Truth hurts."  
  
She turned to hurl an oven mitt at my face and I chuckled, standing to put the offended object back on the counter and she smiled at me. I raised an eyebrow at her expression, the way she seemed to be brewing over something, revealing it in a smug grin.  
  
"I think he likes you." She said quietly, and I blanched, nearly falling over from the shock of her sudden bluntness.  
  
"What?" I exclaimed.  
  
"You heard me. I think Mr. Moneybags, as you so affectionately call him, has a soft spot for my wittle puppy." She freed a hand to tussle my hair in effect to the name puppy, and I huffed.  
  
"Yeah, and the chances of that assumption being true are equal to a snow ball making it in hell."  
  
She rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything else on the subject and I happily complied when she changed the topic with how much she enjoyed her new job. I was glad she was excited about it; she'd be making more money than I would even though I had two jobs, that and even though I could have told her this myself she said her co-workers thought rather highly of her. I knew she'd make a good first impression, she was a very honest, hard- working person, and I had no doubt she would rise above this pit of trash we called home and become very successful in her life. I would help her as much as I could, but I had the feeling she wouldn't need it.  
  
She finished the small bowl of rice quickly, before she started for bed. I stayed behind to do dishes like I told her I would, and waited until the bedroom door closed securely and quietly before I slumped over the sink, the soapy water reaching my wrists. I couldn't afford to use any more water because the bill would get too high, but it's not like I needed it.  
  
I closed my eyes, just letting my fingers grip around the bowl loosely under water and stood still, wavering on my feet every now and then in exhaustion. I didn't want to fall asleep because I didn't feel like being tortured with any more of my twisted fantasies, it was bad enough the main man that starred in them seemed to hate every fiber in my being half the time but to dream about it just rubbed the fact that'd I'd never have him in my face.  
  
I moved to grab the washrag, but jumped out of my skin when a crash followed by a scream that probably could have shattered the windows reached my sensitive ears. I whipped around to find my father stumbling towards me, and found that it had been him that had shrieked in pain, the source his right palm, dripping in blood. I paused for a moment, before reflexes set in and I bolted to the medicine cabinet, rushing back towards my only parent and holding his wrist firmly. He was muttering crude curses and swaying violently, his body shaking in rage. I was surprised he was even letting me touch him.  
  
The moment passed though, and as soon as the glass, more than likely from a liquor bottle, was removed and the skin, cleaned and bandaged to the best of my abilities my father turned sour.  
  
"You son of a bitch!" He snarled, cocking his good fist back and landing a hard hit on my left cheekbone.  
  
I yelped in surprise, not ready for the assault, and stumbled back into the table. Holding my face I looked up as my dad steadied himself by holding onto the wall, his breathing hard and his eyes promising murder. I shuddered, and found myself frozen. I hadn't seen him this angry since our mother had passed away. Since the first time he'd raped me.  
  
"What the hell did you do to my FUCKING hand you little whore?!"  
  
He advanced again, a little slower, and I shook my head no, trying to deny this was happening again.  
  
"I fixed it! Please, I didn't do anything!" I tried to plead, but it was too late, he'd already taken hold of my shirt and punched me again, this time on the other cheek.  
  
I distantly heard the bedroom door open, and looked briefly to see Shizuka standing in the opening to the kitchen. I mouthed the word 'No' painfully, and although she hesitated, I was extremely happy to see her leave, even if she hadn't wanted to. It was a pact between us, I had made her swear to me that she would stay out of things if father got this way, and although she'd hated the thought, she had agreed.  
  
I tried to look back up at the bulky blonde man in front of me, but he helped me with that, grabbing a fist full of my hair and yanking my neck up to him as he managed to push most of my body on the kitchen table.  
  
"Fucking street rat! Think you jus' own everythin' in this goddamn house doncha? HUH?! I'll show you whose wearin' da pants here!"  
  
I choked on the suddenly violent fear engulfing me as my eyes widened.  
  
"NO! Dad please! Don't!"  
  
"SHUT UP!" He shrieked, and I was granted with a harsh slap against my bruising face.  
  
Within minutes my father had gone from almost completely wasted and incoherent to nearly fully functional, my pants being yanked to my ankles as his abnormally strong arms kept me pinned. I tried to resist, kicking yet holding in screams for my sister's sake. He flipped me to my stomach like a rag doll, and with a deranged chuckle I heard his belt and jeans hit the tiled floor.  
  
I felt tears run down my cheeks pre-maturely, my arms being bent onto my back uncomfortably and my legs kicked apart so that I would have fallen off the table if not for my father's hold. I tensed and mentally beat the man off me, but in real life he only forced his not even fully erect cock into my body. Since he wasn't completely aroused the pain was less, but it still felt like my body was splitting in two inwardly. His state of hardening reached it's maximum though as he began to thrust into my unwilling body brutally, his movements jerky and successfully hitting all the wrong spots, ripping new places and drawing more blood.  
  
I sobbed into the table as I felt him move in and around me, his breathing a pant and his hands starting to shake from the adrenaline fucking up his drunken system. He was fast though, and finished quickly, completing my prayer to God in that moment, and I fell to my knees as he slipped out and pitched backwards to fall unconscious on the floor.  
  
I was crying hard now, my arms wrapped around my self with my pants twisted around my lower legs and my zipper biting into my skin. The small pain was ignored though as it was over powered by the unbearable soreness and burning sensations in my lower body.  
  
I heard Shizuka throw open the door down the hallway in that moment, her footsteps quick as she ran down the hall and to where I was laying myself gingerly on the floor. She gasped and I hear her own guilty tears as she fell to my side, hugging me tightly as best she could, whispering heated apologies to me as she tried to control her own intense sadness. I whimpered, and moved, trying to sit up, but muffled a scream as the burning increased, biting my knuckles before falling onto my shoulder once more.  
  
"Oh my God Jou, please forgive me I am so sorry! It should have been me I- ."  
  
"No! Don't even THINK like that! Keep your innocence Shizuka, please, it's not like this was my first time."  
  
"Jou, please, we have to get you to the hospital, now!" I laughed bitterly a little.  
  
"Yeah, I don't think your going to be able to carry me six miles hun, just, I'll make it through the night and be able to go to school tomorrow with a limp." I say, rather painfully. "You go back to bed, you have school too."  
  
She shook her head, ignoring me, before jumping up, mumbling names to herself as she grabbed the old phone off the wall, the long cord attached to it stretching as she moved back to my side and dialed a number.  
  
She cursed as a total of five different calls came up with the person not answering or not home, and sat there, looking around the house, hand idly stroking my hair as I panted in the intense pain, trying not to move. She bit her lip, eyes red from crying as she fidgeted, fighting hard to stay calm. She wouldn't call 911, I knew, because both her and I were scared to death of what would happen between us and our only living relative left. He'd get out of prison eventually, and we would be his first targets if we were the ones to get him into that kind of trouble in the first place.  
  
Shizuka stopped though, and looked at me for a moment, before a picture of resolution ran across her gorgeous face and she dialed one last number. A few seconds later, I think I could have died with what she said as this person actually picked up their phone.  
  
"Mr. Kaiba?"  
  
~*~  
  
I moaned and grit my teeth with every bump on the road, keeping my legs clenched together with my hips raised as best I could and squeezed Shizuka's hand as I looked up at her. My head was in her lap with the rest of my body spread on the leather back seat of Seto Kaiba's Jaguar, the owner himself speeding through red lights as quickly as possible. It was midnight when Shizuka had braved the chances of calling the CEO, and when he had gotten to the house at exactly 12:09 I wanted to start crying again. It hadn't been enough that him and his little brother had seen me beat through the front window not two days ago, no, he had to witness me suffering in the after effects of incestial rape as well.  
  
Even in my embarrassment I was numbed with pain, and hadn't really cared that as Shizuka had helped me stand for a moment Seto had pulled my boxers back over my half naked, bleeding body. No, all I was worried about right now was what would happen if my father woke up from his alcohol and sex induced coma to find his kids out of the house, with just my drying blood left behind on the floors.  
  
Seto slammed on the breaks in front of the emergency ward of St. John's hospital, almost rolling me out of the seat before he jumped out and came around to the back door closest to my feet. Shizuka laid my head back on the seat after she got out on her side, and together they helped me move out of the vehicle. I expected my sister to get a wheel chair or run inside at least to warn the doctors, and was extremely relieved when Seto, instead picked my light weight into his strong arms and got the pressure off my thighs and lower body muscles. Surprise didn't register as my body was moved though, sending bolts of agony up my spine and I threw my head back to scream through gritted teeth, finger nails digging into Seto's shoulder and chest as I felt the torture throb up my spine as molten tears.  
  
As much as I tried to hold the noises of my agony inside it didn't work, and I didn't even realize we had reached the front desk until Seto was shifting me in his hold to set me down on a gurney. I jerked when my backside hit the thin mattress, and tried vainly to thrust my hips as far away from any contact or pressure as possible, not caring if the flimsy boxers I was wearing were revealing anything or not, I felt my own blood soaking them anyway.  
  
I fought when the doctors tried to push me down and forcefully rolled to my stomach myself, gripping the edges of the cot for dear life before they gave up and began to push me away hurriedly.  
  
"Jou I'm so sorry!" Was the last thing I heard my sister sob after me, but the last thing my blurred vision saw was Seto, white night shirt covered in my blood and his cobalt blue eyes clouded with worry.  
  
~*~  
  
I blinked, stiff body feeling heavy as I turned my head away from the lamp light that sat next to my face. I groaned when trying to open my eyes was proving difficult, and heard someone shift besides me. A pair of footsteps soon rushed into the room, and I recognized the gasp as Shizuka's.  
  
"Jou?" She whispered, and I felt her hand press against my clammy cheek gently. I grinned for her benefit, and this time pried my eyelids apart.  
  
Her cheeks were tear stained and her hair a mess, and had this been a better situation I would have smiled and commented on her appearance sarcastically. Again, someone shifted to my right, and pulling away from my sister's touch slowly I came face to face with Seto Kaiba, him seated in a plush arm chair with his elbows on his knees and his facial expression stressed.  
  
I swallowed the lump in my throat, before I realized exactly where we were. My eyes widened when the all too familiar settings of Seto's personal bedroom registered into my drugged brain, and returned my gaze to the CEO curiously.  
  
"You're not going home." He said firmly, but instead of emotionless like usual, he sounded more desperate, more resolute.  
  
"We have to." I manage to whisper in a hoarse voice, and I feel Shizuka climb onto bed with me, wrapping her arm over my chest and laying her cheek on my shoulder.  
  
"No." Seto says in a somewhat louder voice, and I frown.  
  
"He's our father Seto, he is our guardian, legally."  
  
"Not after who I just called."  
  
I felt Shizuka tense awkwardly from where she was pressed timidly against me, and I turned away from the eldest Kaiba and bit my lip. After a minute or two, I pushed off the mattress and sat up gingerly, my head falling back at the painful throbbing of my lower regions, before forcing myself to move my legs off the bed. Seto sat up straighter at this, looking as if he were preparing for me to run and getting ready to catch me if I fell as Shizuka gripped my shoulder. She hesitated, before her voice finally broke free and cracked, my breathing coming in heavy pants at the effort just to sit up.  
  
"Jou! You don't understand! Father's in police hands, he's lost custody over us completely and Mr. Kaiba has filed a restraining order for us. Jou," She brought her voice down to whisper as she wrapped both arms around my neck from behind. "We're free."  
  
I bit my tongue from my outburst, the one waiting to be released, and turned my steady gaze out the window to the sun setting. Without asking I knew I'd been unconscious the entire day, including last night, and sighed through my nose.  
  
"That's wonderful, Shizuka. So, where do you want to sleep tonight? The park bench or one of the dark alleys with plenty of comfortable trash down on Pennimen Ave.?"  
  
I couldn't help myself, and wanted to just smack my head against the nearest wall when my sister sobbed against my back, her face hidden in my shirt. I shouldn't have been acting this way, but reality sucked sometimes, and the likeliness of us being able to purchase a house or rent an apartment were out of the question. Neither of us were old enough, and I didn't want to watch Shizuka live in a dumpster for two months while I waited for my eighteenth birthday to roll around.  
  
"Don't make her cry when there's no reason to." Seto murmured suddenly, and I turned my eyes to gaze at him coolly, waiting for an elaboration.  
  
"You'll be living here, with me, in this house."  
  
If the situation hadn't been so serious I think I could have died laughing at how fast Shizuka sat up straight, her tangled hair flying wildly as her jaw hit the floor. My condition wasn't much better, my eyes probably the size of dinner plates. They narrowed however, when Seto slapped on a cocky little smirk, although to me it seemed fake this time, and stood, walking towards an intercom and pressing the talk button.  
  
"Molly, prepare a dinner for two very hungry teenagers and have it brought to my room as soon as possible."  
  
-Will do Master Seto.-  
  
Seto waited a moment before reaching up to change the frequency.  
  
"Oliver, make sure Mokuba is finished with his homework before he gets to bed and bring me two large night shirts and pajama bottoms from the laundry."  
  
-As you wish.-  
  
I shook my head when the billionaire came back to his armchair steadily, but then grinned when I noticed Shizuka staring at him with her mouth hanging open.  
  
"You better close that before you start catching flies." I tell her, and she snaps her jaw shut to glare at me playfully.  
  
I'm not prepared for her bear hug in the next second, the happiness radiating from her in thick waves of insuppressible bliss that filled the room in a distinct aura of gratitude as Seto merely watched. The silence was interrupted though, as I finally let the recent events set in, and tears came to my eyes the moment before I burst out laughing. Shizuka joined me without question, and had I been feeling better I would have been dancing around the large room.  
  
I clung to my sister for dear life when my laughter died and I began to cry in relief, an overwhelming feeling of freedom exhausting me emotionally before I found myself lying back down in the bed on my side. I was still sniffling with Shizuka spooned to my front when a knock came to Seto's door. Our food came in on a cart, a couple cans of random soda sitting on the outside of plates filled with spaghetti, two lunch box sized bags of potato chips accompanying the meal. I think I was drooling.  
  
"Eat, you need your strength." Seto said, and made to leave the room for our privacy. I sat up again, groaning at the pain it caused and almost fell forward.  
  
"Wait." I managed, and the CEO stops as his hand rests on the doorknob. He turns back to look at me, and I almost choke on the emotions I find in his eyes. It was a nice change from the pieces of ice they usually were, but found it in myself to continue anyway.  
  
"Why did you do all this for us?" I whisper, and Shizuka pauses in her savage eating to listen.  
  
Seto hesitates, his body tensing slightly before he let his eyes fall to the floor. I continue to watch him intently, focusing on him completely, before I find the bizarre strength to stand on my own. The stiffness in my lower body begins to throb once more, and I whimper, biting my lip harshly, before using the bed and the wall to move towards the man who'd literally saved my life, the man who'd freed my sister. Shizuka moves to protest, but I quiet her, and finally get to where Seto stands.  
  
He had raised his eyes to watch me stumble towards him slowly on numb ankles, and I all but fell into him, gripping him tightly around the shoulders and burying my face into his clean shirt to take deep breaths and slow my racing heart.  
  
"Thank you so much.Seto." I whisper, and I feel him tense harder.  
  
I'm surprised he doesn't push me away, and no matter how strange it is I smile warmly when his own arms came up to hold my waist. He uses his strength to support my weak body from collapsing, and I relax completely into him, enjoying everything about this moment and savoring it. I knew I'd never get this chance again, and don't protest when he gently picks me up to set me back on his bed in front of my food.  
  
"Finish your dinner." He says quietly, before he leaves completely.  
  
I sigh after watching him leave, and Shizuka giggles. I turn my head to look at her and find her smirking at me in that smug way of hers again.  
  
"Told you." Was all she said, and I snorted.  
  
"Believe what you want, sis, but I know for a fact Seto doesn't think of me like that. Not even relatively close to anything like that."  
  
I know she hears the small sadness in my voice at what I had just admitted, but she does nothing other than gentle her grin and hug me sideways around my shoulders with the arm that's not holding a fork full of noodles. We're silent after that, and fall asleep together once everything is finished and pushed back onto the cart.  
  
~*~  
  
"Good morning Jou!"  
  
I rolled over to bury my face in my pillow at the door to my guest room being thrown open. Without needing to look I knew the cheery voice was Mokuba, and although I'm still sore I don't protest when the smaller boy jumps onto my bed and precedes in glomping my helpless body.  
  
I huff but then chuckled tiredly. "Hey kiddo."  
  
He sits back up as I move gingerly, hissing slightly as I slowly move to lean against the headboard. The bedroom I was in now had become my new room, as so dubbed by Seto himself, and I heard Shizuka moving around in her room just behind me, more than likely getting ready for work. All of my meager belongings had been moved from my house here, with the exception of the furniture, before the house had been evicted and sold. There were a total of two pictures, two pairs of boxers, one pair of jeans, three t- shirts, my old sandals, the only sneakers I owned and a poster of my absolute favorite band: the Gorillaz. Seto had already lectured me into going shopping for a new wardrobe and new things once I felt more up to walking, and although I did look forward to it I felt guilty about using the man like this.  
  
Mokuba punched my shoulder when he noticed I was dozing off again, and laughed when I pretended that it had hurt.  
  
"Come on lazy, Molly made pancakes for breakfast!" He said excitedly, and I nodded with a smile.  
  
"Alright, lemme get dressed first, 'k?"  
  
He grinned and exclaimed 'ok!' before jumping back off the mattress to bolt from the room, all but slamming my door shut behind him. For the past week my sister and I had been staying here Mokuba had become increasingly hyper and happy, which drove Seto up the wall I'm sure, but other than that things were pretty normal. I'd start going back to school tomorrow, with or without Seto's consent, and hopefully later on this week I'd be able to go back to working for Ben at the auto shop. I needed to start making money again, although Shizuka was making pretty good pay I didn't want to take her earnings away from her like I was Seto's.  
  
It took me a while but I finally managed to slip on a pair of house slippers and make it out of the room towards the large staircase. I was trying to hurry, not wanting Seto to catch me walking without help again, but only mid-way down the stairs I heard an irritated growl from behind me.  
  
"Jounouchi. What did I tell you? You're worse than Mokuba's been when it comes to following orders, and that's not a good thing." Seto scolded, voice near emotionless but a faint trace of worry clinging to the edges of his tone. I wanted to smile, but turned up to wince as he walked down behind me and immediately wrapped an arm around my waist and a hand around my left elbow.  
  
I gripped the railing a little softer with my right palm, and let Seto guide me the rest the way, enjoying the contact as much as I could before we'd have to break away. I loved being held by Seto, and although I'd only had that one chance to enjoy a true hug, the little touches like this were close enough to keep me satisfied. I still wasn't sure if he was aware of my feelings, but I never chanced telling him because it might be the difference between him respecting me and allowing Shizuka and I to live here and us living on the streets instead.  
  
We reached the bottom of the staircase with caution, and I sighed from the effort and strain on my lower spine, the pain dulling after this past week of rest but still there. I turned to Seto to thank him, but stopped abruptly when I found him staring down at me with an intent look.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
Seto blinked at that, and I believe I saw him flush before he tilted his head away from me and turned me towards the kitchen, still leading me by the arm. I followed, but couldn't help but stare at the billionaire in open curiosity; I'd never seen him blush like that before.  
  
Our younger siblings, once inside the kitchen greeted us brightly, before Shizuka stood to run into the den. I watched her leave,  
  
"Where are you going?" I called.  
  
"I'm getting you a pillow to sit on idiot, the chairs are wood if you haven't noticed."  
  
I huffed, but Seto continued to be most of my balance before my ever- protective sister returned with said pillow from the loveseat, fluffing it in her hands before situating it on the seat of the chair that was next to hers. I was led over to it and then almost forced to sit down carefully, before Seto stood straighter.  
  
"I'll have to be leaving now," he announced. "And if I hear from anyone in this house that you were walking around by yourself again, Jounouchi, you are not going to want to deal with me when I get home. And believe me, my servants will be keeping a sharp eye out."  
  
I grimaced a little at his warning, but nodded in consent anyway. Shizuka and Mokuba both giggled quietly, and Seto made due on his word after kissing his brother's forehead. Once the billionaire was gone and the kitchen was left to us alone, Mokuba grinned widely at me, a bit of a smug expression glinting in his features.  
  
"You know, normally I would be jealous and angry that most of my brother's attention was being turned to someone else, but because it's you Jou I don't really mind."  
  
I frowned at that, and although Shizuka looked as if she knew what Mokuba was talking about I concentrated on the youngest Kaiba without paying her much mind.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.  
  
"Nothing really."  
  
"No, you meant something and I want to know."  
  
I tried to stay firm, tried to sound serious but this was Kaiba Mokuba I was talking to, a kid who grew up under his brother's wing, and absolutely nothing was going to sound more intimidating to him when compared to Seto. As I suspected, the kid's grin became a little more smug and he continued to ignore my frustration up until the minute he was reading to leave for school. He stopped in the doorway, and then turned to me and my sister who was helping me into the den.  
  
"Just so you know Jou, your not on a one-way road with Seto."  
  
And with that he flew out the front and into his waiting ride. I groaned in annoyance, trying to translate the meaning behind his words, and waited until Shizuka had helped me arrange myself comfortably on Seto's black leather loveseat before attempting to contemplate the words of the younger boy. My sister left after that to ready herself for work, and drowned me in the silence of the mansion.  
  
"Your not on a one-way road with Seto." I repeated quietly to myself, and threw an arm across my eyes lazily. "Not on a one-way road."  
  
~*~  
  
TBC  
  
~*~  
  
Sorry it took so long to get out, but I had a lot of stuff going on with classes starting and surgery for my leg and trying to deal with my asshole of a boss and.just blah. Enjoy what you can, the next chapter will start to get interesting for you die hard yaoi lemon freaks, promise. ^^ Oh, and if it seems confusing and cut off there at the end it was because I like it when my chapters are long and part of the last half was supposed to be for the next chapter. Leave me alone I'm weird. 


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